Recent and upcoming premières of works by Carson Cooman :

June 26, 2009: American premiere: Oratorio for chorus and orchestra on the writings of Julian of Norwich;Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London and TBA, Rupert Gough, director, The Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Notes

Flying Machine (2008) for orchestra was commissioned by the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in
celebration of two anniversaries: the orchestra’s 200th season and James Yannatos’s 45th anniversary
as conductor. The work is dedicated to James Yannatos in celebration of his 80th birthday and his
years of distinguished activity as conductor, composer, and mentor.

The music is joyous in spirit, inspired by a sense of discovery and fulfillment—the exhilaration that
comes from knowledge well-used. The poetic image is taken from the age of the invention of flight.

The piece’s opening section is “workshop/construction” music—filled with a sense of unfolding,
building, and assembly. The musical material is presented in a series of overlapping guises; the rest
of the work unfolds from these ideas. As the music gathers energy, the barn door is finally opened,
and the behemoth is rolled out. After a pregnant pause, the music of flight begins—soaring and
energetic.

Purchase a score of Flying Machine for Orchestra by Carson Cooman (parts on rental)